Last Friends Ruka and Takeru  Caged Hearts, Eyes
by Tastysmashedoranges
Summary: Takeru still madly in love with Ruka after 5 years and Rumi is all grown up now and he decided to take them to the zoo.


Last friends

Chapter 1- "_Caged Heart, Eyes and Animals"_

"I am a man who can't make a woman love me", Takeru thought as he brushes rouge on a model's cheek. "Actually…" he thought again. "I can't make the woman I love, love me." It seems like it was only yesterday when that incident happened. When I finally confessed to Ruka that I loved her no matter what form she may be and support her even if she can't love me- a man. That incident where he ran like a crazy person to that park where he thought he would never see her again. As he ran minutes before everything will be too late, he saw her back walking away and like how a man in love would react he stopped her and asked her to stay and promised her that everything will be better soon. "Am I crazy?" He asked himself. As he added the finishing touches to the model, he guided the model's face towards the mirror and they both looked at her face and what an art-form she was. The make-up was just right on her. He's a talented make-up artist but, he seemed untalented on making Ruka love him. The model exited in the make-up room and left Takeru alone by himself. He sat and looked at himself on the mirror. "How can this heart beat only for one person?" he smiled listening to that question in his mind over and over agin. "Because Ruka…well she stole both my heart and my eyes and locked them in a cage where there is no key." That was his answer to that dreaded question. He sighed a very long sigh like how a person in love sighs and rose to his chair and set up everything back to its place. Ruka must've loved Michiru the way he loved her. Her pain of knowing that that love can never be accepted and returned.

Leaving that studio and finally smelling the air of the streets strayed Takeru's thought s for at least fifteen minutes about Ruka. As he walked he noticed something weird. His heart seems to beat really fast as if it's sensing something familiar. The time isn't that late for a robber or a mugger to approach him and the time isn't that early for an old woman who sells milk to approach him. Alas! That familiar vision on a bicycle, that short-haired deity he once thought who would never be friends with him.

"Takeru!" Ruka called from afar.

"Hey! Ruka. Why are you here? Did something happen?" he asked Ruka.

" Rumi, was asked to document a family trip. But, Michiru is visiting her mother today, so I thought why not we accompany her for Rumi and Michiru's sake".

Like him, well he assumed Ruka still has strong feelings toward Michiru and like him her heart only beats for one person. Sometimes, he envy Michiru but, he shyly resents that thought because it made him less of a man for Ruka.

"Well, its still 2:30 PM, why not we pick her up from school and take her to the zoo." he replied.

" Great idea!" Ruka thought. Michiru and her daughter, Rumi lived with Takeru and Ruka in the share-house for almost five years now and Takeru took the father role ever since Rumi's birth and Ruka took both the mother and the father role as well.

Rumi went out of her school the exact same time Takeru and Ruka arrived to pick her up. As she saw both of them she sprung her feet towards them and made them carry her. "Are you taking me on a trip? My teacher told me that if I won't do this assignment I'd probably lose two stars in my record." Rumi said as she pouted her lips and stared at the two of them. They laughed really hard listening to her predicament.

"Rumi, Papa Takeru thought he'd take us to the zoo. He said they just had a Panda delivered yesterday and he said we should go see it" Ruka assured the sulking little girl. "Is that true papa, is what aunt Ruka said true?" she asked Takeru.

"Well…" Takeru made a fake sad "I don't know" look.

Rumi stared at the ground and made a sad face. Takeru and Ruka saw the little angel's look and finally felt sorry for her and ended their little mind game on her."Of course we'll go!" Takeru replied with firm assurance. Ruka rubbed Rumi's tears and carried her. Takeru offered his hands and Ruka transferred Rumi in Takeru's arms.

"Yehey!" the little girl celebrated and hugged her loving Papa and Auntie.

And the trip was on. They went to the zoo and saw everything and took a lot of pictures with the animals, from penguins to zebras, Lions to monkeys, Otters and butterflies and finally -the Panda. As the two adults rocked Rumi's arms, the panda approached them. Guarded by a very thick glass the panda tried to touched the three charming spectators. Exhausted, the panda just gave the three of them a huge wave. This delighted them and made them laugh really hard. Tired of walking, they rested in the zoo's café and Takeru bought Rumi a sundae and Ruka Mochachino and an espresso for Takeru. As they rested, they looked at their photos with the animals. As Takeru watched the photos of the two girls, it wasn't only Rumi who seemed to have the time of her life but, Ruka too. He stared at Ruka and she too stared back at him and said. " I'm glad we had this day. I really had fun. You were great to bring Rumi here." Ruka complimented Takeru. He smiled humbly with her remark. Alas, the day was over and they reached home.

Takeru carried the sleeping Rumi in his arms while Ruka opened the door for them. He carried her to her room and laid her down on Michiru's bed. He removed Rumi' s shoes and finally looked at his daughter with pride. He hummed as she caressed the little angel's head. He didn't even noticed that Ruka was looking at them. "Takeru" Ruka interrupted. Takeru looked up and looked at his other angel. "Huh?" he asked. Ruka was leaning beside the door looking worried."Why can't you pick a woman who can love you…you deserve better than wasting your heart on me." Ruka replied calmly.

"I mean, why didn't you love Michiru instead?" she asked.

Takeru removed her gazed and transferred it back to Rumi and said, "You seemed to inject a poison inside me Ruka, my body all of it they call your name and it's not healing very soon. How can I love someone else Ruka, When all of me see you?" He tried not to look at her as he said those words nervously. Then it was silent. Takeru wished Ruka left the room and assumed she hadn't heard what he just said. As he felt relieved of the thought that Ruka didn't hear her, something happened. He saw two arms locked his shoulders. Then, he felt something wet dripping from his shoulders. "She can't be crying." He thought.

"Ruka, are you okay" he asked worried and wondered if he inflicted pain on her.

"I'm alright. Takeru I just wish I am straight and I could finally have you as my man, but my soul it's not …it's not…" Takeru stopped her. He removed her arms on him and held his face, "…Ready?" Takeru replied. As he said it he took all the strength in his body and mind, grabbed her by the shoulders and he finally kissed her. Like a man with no brain and with only a heart, he kissed the woman he loves, the thief who stole his heart. His heart never beat that fast in his entire life. As he removed his lips away from hers, he can see Ruka's tears flowing.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry Ruka" He apologized. Ruka didn't say anything,

She sat on the bed, while Takeru stood clueless. Embarassed of what he did he decided to leave. But, someone stopped her. Ruka took his hands and placed it on her face. She pushed him towards her and made him sit on the bed. "I never saw you as a man Takeru. I can't love a man and you know that." Takeru just nodded and started to tear up also. "I know that Ruka, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I was just mad earlier" Takeru replied. "I just hope Ruka you wouldn't take it against me and leave me." He finally cried. Ruka wiped his tears and reached her left arm on his shoulder. "I can't love you as a man Takeru but, I could love you as a person. A person who loves his daughter, a person who loves his friends and a person who loves me dearly and for what I am." As she was holding his shoulder she reached for his chin and returned the kiss he gave earlier. On that scene the two seemed to exchange sexes, Ruka the boy and Takeru the girl. The ecstacy of finally kissing Ruka didn't just made him complete, but made him a man. A man more than he could ever imagined. Takeru felt like someone sent the share-house a miracle and made Ruka loved him. He reached for her too and they started kissing not knowing that the person who delivered the miracle was lying on the bed half asleep, smiling by herself greeting herself a job well done.


End file.
